


Between firewhiskey and Jack' feathers

by roby_lia



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-07
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-11-10 10:45:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11125494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roby_lia/pseuds/roby_lia
Summary: I smelled you in the amortentia, between Firewhiskey and Jack’ feathers, was what he should have said.“I told you that the eggs had a strange taste this morning, you'd better leave now or suffer the consequences,” it’s what he said instead.





	Between firewhiskey and Jack' feathers

That was childish, even for him, and Josh knew it just fine.

But at the same time there wasn’t nothing that could ever persuaded him to leave that bathroom, unless someone didn’t break through the door and dragged him away. Which was something he should rather expected, knowing the rabble he usually deal with.

“Guero, are you dead in there, by any chance?”

Josh strangled a sound, hiding his face in his hands. Exactly what he meant.

It had been a perfectly normal day, and then of course, _that_ moment had to come.

He had woken up and bickered with Vas.

He had breakfast and fought with Vas in the field, while they were going to the Herbology’s greenhouse.

They had gone to potions and he smelled Vas in the amortentia. He was pretty sure it was that the moment when things had started going to shit.

“Joooosh.”

“Can’t you leave me alone at least in the bathroom?”

“Not when you're acting so strange, what happened?”

_I smelled you in the amortentia, between Firewhiskey and Jack’s feathers,_ was what he should have said.

“I told you that the eggs had a strange taste this morning, you'd better leave now or suffer the consequences,” it’s what he said instead.

“... You're the most disgusting person in the world. You're even worse than Red, and you know how bad his eating’s habits are as well.”

“This should be the time when you run away then.”

“I can’t let you die in your own shit, Sam’ll yell at me again. It’s already happened thirteen time this month, I can’t take anymore. And however, I doubt it will ever be worse than that time in the third year.”

_That time in the third year_ had been one of the worst days of his entire life, at least until the hex ended, and he had fallen asleep curled up against Vas. He woke up the next morning with one of Vas’ hand gently stroking his back and the other intertwined in his hair. Since that time, when happen that they sleep together (often a large quantity of smuggled firewhiskey concerned the fact) and Josh wake up first, he always pretend to be still asleep to feel again those long fingers play with his hair and unleash all kinds of chills always so hard to hide.

Perhaps, after all, he shouldn’t be so surprised to have smelled Vas in the amortentia.

Josh groaned in despair, seriously considering enchanting the toilet to be flushed away from that disastrous situation.

 

 

***

 

 

Josh was brutally grab by the collar and then his back collided painfully with the cold wall of the corridor.

“What the hell, Emma?!”

The girl pressed her right forearm against his throat, her eyes flashed with anger.

“Speak,” she said simply.

“Can I at least know what I have done this time?” Josh asked, rolling his eyes.

“Vasquez.”

_Oh_. He felt his throat suddenly dry and the tongue became clumsy in his mouth.

“Vas what?” He still managed to say, trying to make an innocent smile, something he’s never been really good at.

If Emma had had a bit less self-control she would have growled, Josh was sure of it.

“Vas is concerned because you've been acting strange. So, talk.”

Emma in overprotective mother hen mode was the most terrifying thing in the world and, if possible, she becomes even worst when the problems concerned Vas or Red. And since Red was also there, arms crossed and a great punching-bag smirk on his face, it was obvious that all that thing was about Vas.

And it was also painful obvious that he couldn’t get out of that horrible situation unharmed.

For this, he let out a strangled sound in explanation for what had happened.

“What?”

“IsmelledVasintheamortentia.”

“English, Joshua.”

“I smelled Vas in the amortentia!” He shouted exasperated, before raising his arms to break free from the grip of the girl, “And don’t think I don’t know you just wanted to hear me say it again for your own fun.”

“That was obvious,” Josh glared at Red, obtaining only an even bigger, infamous, smirk.

Emma instead, apparently excited by the news, had replaced her murderous look with satisfaction “About time! I was thinking that you would never realize it. Now you just have to tell him.”

“Ah! Not a chance,” and without gave her time to argue, Josh run away, because he definitely preferred to be killed by Emma that did some shitty thing like spill out his _feelings_ to Vas.

 

 

***

 

 

When Josh wake up, he has no idea where he is, how he ended there or what he was doing before, but he’s sure is Vas who’s holding his hand, and that means he shouldn’t worry too much. Until Vas is with him, he doesn’t have to worry about anything.

He squeezes the hand in return, making him speak “He’s waking up.”

The slight noise, of which was barely aware, suddenly stops, and Josh is almost tempted to go back to sleep, but Vas squeezes his hand just a bit stronger and says “Don’t be an asshole, open your eyes, guero.”

With a sigh, he obeys. Vas is sitting near the bed, both hands wrapped around his, still wearing the quidditch uniform, a strip of mud on one cheek and hair wet from the rain under which they played.

Right, the quidditch match. He had caught a glimpse of Vas pursuing the snitch, while he’s watching his back from bludgers (not that there was really need of. The only one who had ever managed to hit Vas with a bludger was Sam, and Sam don’t play anymore since Bogue joined the team, but it was still something stronger than him to do. It always would be), when he was hit in the head exactly from one of those, threw in his direction surely not by mistake.

It all made sense now, and he can stretch his lips in a satisfied grin.

“You look like shit.”

Vas take a deep breath, releasing the air with a strangled sound and resting his head on their clasped hands. He can feel his lips moving against his skin as the other mumble to himself, Spanish curses without any doubt.

Josh turns on his side, to be able to bring his other hand between those dark curls.

“So, did we win at least?” He asks to the rest of their brigade, besieged around the bed.

Emma nods satisfied, but it’s Sam who gives him the details “Vasquez become a rage when they didn’t suspend the game. When he caught the snitch I was almost convinced that he would’ve tear its wings apart and shoved it in Headmaster’s throat.”

“Anyway, it must be said that he has been _slow_. He left you alone on your deathbed for even _two whole minutes_.”

They laugh while Vas still growls a few insults, but then he turns his head and began to stare at him, ignoring the others.

Josh smiles, winking and pulling just a little his hair.                        

Goody clears his throat, but Josh don’t even bother to look away. He could have _died_ , he definitely deserves every attention Vas offers him.

“Well guys, we have to go. Josh rest, and Vas, please, try not to irritate too much the nurses.”

“I’ll do my worst,” is the answer that Sam receives. The last to leave is Emma, looking at him and moving only her lips with an imperative _Tell him, you idiot_ all too clear even if not vocalized.

He rolls his eyes, ignoring the order for the umpteenth time in as many months, and then finally they are alone.

With a sigh, Vas sits in a more human position, freeing his hand from his grip to stretch soundly. Then, taking off the muddy boots, he laid down at his side, one arm under his head and the other that easily wraps around his waist, to pull them closer. Their faces are far too close but, yeah, almost dead and all that stuff only make Josh more determined to not move away from Vas, not even for an inch. Rather the opposite, actually.

“You stink and you’re dirty. I should definitely ask you to leave my bed and this whole oasis of rest, you know?”

Vas raises an eyebrow just before bring them even closer, intertwining their legs and accepting his head in the crook of his neck “You will be my death, Joshua,” he sighs, before closing his eyes and putting the nose in his hair.

Finally satisfied, Josh goes back to sleep.

 

 

When he wakes up again, Vas is sitting with his back against the headboard, a book on his long legs stretched out. Josh stretches, and lazily opens one eye to look at him. He took off the dirty uniform and take a shower, so now his uncombed hair were sticking out every which way, like they were asking for a willing hand to step in between. Josh would offer more than voluntary, if a sudden cries don’t distract from the task and make him jump for surprise.

“Mr. McCann! Stand still for once!”

“Mr. Denali! Don’t you even dare thinking about it!”

Josh frowns and turns to Vas with a bored sigh.

“Please tell me that you have nothing to do with that.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I only obeyed orders and went to take a shower and change my clothes. The nurses can be very pushy, it must be said,” he explains, keeping his eyes fixed on the book.

“Sure. A _shower_ and _clean_ _clothes_. And accidentally, in the middle of those actions you _met_ _amicably_ with the perpetrators of my stay in the infirmary, I suppose.”

“… That could be a hypothesis. But there isn’t any evidence of it, I’m afraid.”

“I won’t defend yourself when Sam will yell at you. _Again_.”

“Nah, he won’t this time.”

“And why he shouldn’t-”

“Mr. Bogue!”

“… really?”

“That was Emma’s idea.”

Josh stares at him, that mischievous smile he can’t control anymore, now fully on display on his lips. Merlin, how much he’d like to kiss him.

“You are the worst.”

 

 

***

 

 

The mood is quiet, almost sleepy. After the celebrations for their umpteenth victory had calmed down, almost everyone returned to their houses and that left only their merry band to finish the last leftovers. He’s sitting next to Vas, or rather almost-over-Vas, one leg between his, the head that found a comfortable space against his shoulder and don’t intend to leave it any time soon, the hand don’t occupied by bottle, loosely holding the other’s white shirt.

Vas yawns, and then he puts an arm around his shoulder, resting his cheek on his hairs.

Josh lets out a satisfied sound, pleasantly lightheaded between the booze, the fire and Vas so close.

At least as long as Emma doesn’t hit him with a treacherously kick that makes him jump and hit for mistake Vas’s chin, who withdraw his arm with a swear, and the peace is broken.

Josh throws a murderess look at the girl, happily curled up against Matthew’s chest and who even dares make an innocent smile.

“Our Joshua has to tell you something, V. Actually he must tell you this thing for _months_.”

“Que ...?” Vas stops rubbing his face, moving confuse his eyes between Emma and Josh, to stop on him, staring with a raised eyebrow.

_I smelled you in the amortentia_ , few simple words. Nothing so hard. His mouth had said far worse and awkward things, from the “Oh good, we got a mudblood,” when they had just met. _That_ has been very embarrassing.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” is what he spits out instead, standing up and doing the stairs to the dormitory two at a time. He could finally decide to really enchant the toilet and be literally flushed away. Or he could always jump from the window half the way, even that can be an idea.

Or rather, he could think about it if, once he’s out of the bathroom, Vas isn’t actually waiting for him right on the interested window, looking out with a bottle of firewhiskey in hand.

Josh’s heart skips a beat in his chest, but the other just offers him the bottle, miraculously still half full. He takes a long drink that burns his throat, before give the bottle back and watch the other drink, the throat extended like an invitation to put his lips on it and feel the pulse on his tongue.

Josh swallow hard, and suddenly realizes that maybe it hasn’t be a good idea to drink that last sip, because suddenly he’s almost sure to have hear Vas asks if he can kiss him.

“What?” he croaks, throat dry and the heart that beats too loud in his ears.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Why do you want to kiss me?” He has not stammer. He’s Joshua Faraday, and Joshua Faraday doesn’t stammer, but his voice can have been a couple of octaves sharper than his usual.

Vas shrugs, “Cause we are discreetly drunk, is something I wanted to do for years and you're already acting strange, so it's worth trying to ask you. At worst we will both act strangely and at least I'll know why.”

“…”

“... Ah, and Emma threatened to use the Imperium Curse me if I didn’t decided put my shit together and tell you. And this time she seemed serious, not like all the other two thousand four hundred twenty-six times she threatened me in the past.”

“... You wanted to kiss me for _years_?”

His is a sharp nod and not even for a moment he avoids his eyes “From the third year, actually. Before the hex, thankfully. But the fact that I still want to kiss you after that should be more than enough. So. Can I kiss you?”

Joshua blinks a few times, his head that suddenly need hours to process even the simplest thought.

“Um. Yes, definitely.”

He sees Vas swallow hard, his first real sign of tension, while he stand up, the bottle forgotten on the window.

He’s a step lower, and this puts them at nearly the same height, actually this time is Josh who has that half inches on his side. If he would he can pull back at any time, just a nod and he would be out of his reach. Knowing Vas, that isn’t a coincidence, as it isn’t the almost maddening slowness with which he puts a hand to his hip and the other to his face, but without giving the slightest hint of force to pull him.

Not that it’s needed. As if suddenly his brain managed to catch up with reality, Josh grabs his shirt between his fists, squeezing so much that the knuckles whiten, and makes their faces collide into a awkward kiss.

Definitely not the best displaying of his ability, too much force, and too little technique, but Vas’s kissing him back with the same enthusiasm and after a while they finally manage to find their rhythm and things are definitely better.

“So now what's the plan?” he asks between a kiss and another, his fingers that can’t stay still and continue to interweave between those dark curls. And with all the time he had waited to be free to do it, he don’t intend to stop any time soon.

Vas closes his eyes, leaning more on his touch with a satisfied groan “Go back to the others. Make them fell miserable kissing constantly because they’re definitely laughing of us. Sleeping in the same bed for the rest of the year.”

Josh nods, and pulls him back against himself “A good plan, for now. Although I hope that the sleep you’re talking about is between quotation marks.”

Vas does an indistinct sound that is lost against his tongue.

“... Wait,” he manages to say then.

“Que?”

“Emma always knew that you liked me?”

“It's _Emma_ , obviously she’s always known.”

“Then why she threat only me of death? She must stop to do these preferences.”

“Probably because she knows that I’ll receive the speech break-his-heart-and-I-feed-you-to-the-dragon from both Sam and Horne. And probably also from Goody.”

“... Right. Now, let's go to make those wretches feel miserable, if they laugh a little stronger they’ll manage to wake up even all the rest of the school.”

 

 

 

 

“Hey, what’s the thing that you should’ve told me?”

“Oh, that. I smelled you in the amortentia.”  
Vas makes a thoughtful sound, keeping his eyes on the ceiling.

“You smelled me too, right?” he insist, pocking his side and making him laugh.

“Sì, sì, guero. I smelled you too. I doubt there are so many people that smell of hippogriff and broom polish anyway.”

Joshua makes ad indignant sound but the other was already kissing him.

**Author's Note:**

> Finales are close and I don't handle well the stress, this's the result.  
> Also, sorry for every mistake, english isn't my first language.


End file.
